Reel bat and reel tine assembly

ABSTRACT

A reel bat assembly has a plurality of reel bat tubes formed into sections so that the assembly of reel bat tubes can be disassembled for shipping and can be reassembled to provide for a long reel bat needed for modern harvesters. The reel bat assembly includes molded tines that have saddle-like hubs which attach to the reel bat tubes using a single screw that extends through the reel bat tubes and threads into a receptacle formed in a post of those tines. The post protrudes into the interior of the reel bat tube and expands as the screw is tightened to provide a secure, stable tine that is held securely with two parts, the tine and the screw.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a molded harvester reel fingeror tine for mounting on a reel bat tube that is collapsible in length,making the long individual bat tubes easier to service, easier toassemble, easier to ship and stronger. The molded fingers or tines areeach mountable on the tubes with a single fastener to hold the reel tineor finger easily and securely for harvesting grain.

[0002] Clamp on reel tines or fingers are shown in U.S. Pat. No.3,613,347. The tine hub forms a hook that goes around a reel tube andextends more than 1800 around the tube. The tine or finger is held bysnap in lugs.

[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,470 shows a split clamp rake tooth that has aclamp bolt for tightening the clamp onto a tube. A U-shaped saddlebolted to a bat blade is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,511. Thisalso requires a cross bolt on the opposite side of the reel bat from thetine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,052 also shows a tine with a split hub toclamp the tine in place. Split hubs are not easy to form and thus aremore expensive and installation on the reel bats is time consuming.

[0004] In the prior art, various types of reel constructions have beenused for harvesting equipment, such as combines, and the bat tubes thatare used for forming the reels on such implements are long, making thetubes hard to ship, and difficult to assemble. There are multi-sectionbats which, while reducing the length, are complex and relativelydifficult to assemble. A reel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,797. U.S.Pat. No. 3,796,030 shows essentially the same type of construction wherereel bats are held together with a member that clamps onto the bats witha bearing journal between them. The formed metal bat sections are joinedalso by overlapping the ends and bolting them together.

[0005] However, it is desirable to have a tubular support bat sincetubes are easily obtained and lightweight and also such tubes are easyto use with the tines that attach to the tubes as disclosed herein.

[0006] Other molded tines are made with imbedded or molded in placeattaching bolts such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,436. A typicalbolt-on saddle-shaped member is with a molded end tine is shown in U.S.Pat. No. 3,553,950.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present disclosure, in one aspect, shows a tine or finger fora tubular reel bat that is mounted with a single fastener that secures ahub on the finger to the tube. The tine or finger is made in one piecewith a hub at one end with a post that also is formed unitarily inplace, and when assembled to a tube extends through an opening into theinterior of the tube. A single screw or other fastener extends into anopening on the opposite side of the tube and secures the tine post tolock the tine securely to the reel bat tube.

[0008] Another aspect of the invention is to provide multi-sectionedsupport bat tubes so that the bat tubes can be broken down into sectionsthat are shippable by normal commercial shippers, and which can beassembled quite easily to form the reel. The tube sections are joinedwith shaft sections that also provide for bearing supports at thespiders used on the reel for holding the bats in position.

[0009] The tines of the present invention preferably may be molded andare easily used. The hubs are made so that they will tightly engage thetube on which they are mounted to reduce the likelihood of twisting orworking loose. The head of the single fastener, as shown a screw, thatis utilized can be drawn into a countersunk recess on the opposite sideof the tube from the direction of the extension of the tine, so thatthere are no rough edges to catch straw or the like.

[0010] The tine or finger has a hub that has an interior surface thatseats on the bat tube and which has a slightly smaller radius than theradius of the tube on which it is mounted so that the hub sides tend tospread as the tine is installed to ensure a secure mounting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a typical combine havinga reel utilizing the reel bat tube and fingers of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two sections of a reel bat tubeused in the device of FIG. 1, with tines or fingers of the presentinvention shown in exploded positions relative to the reel bat tubesections;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a side view of the tine of the present inventioninstalled on a bat tube with parts broken away;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a front view of the time of FIG. 3; and

[0015]FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the hubportion of a bat illustrating a tube in dotted lines in position for thetine to be mounted on the tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016]FIG. 1 illustrates a combine 10 that is of conventional design,having a header 12 between divider points 13 and 14, and a cutter bar 15along the forward edge. A reel assembly indicated generally at 16 asshown is a combined reel that includes an airflow assist, and has alarge center support tube 18 on which end plates 20, 20 are mounted. Thecenter support tube 18 also supports a number of individual reel spiders21 having radial arms indicated at 22 that will support reel batassemblies 24 at their outer ends. The bat assemblies 24 arerotationally driven as the reel rotates through a drive mechanism at theend plates 20 of the reel, so that the reel bats must turn in bearingsused at the outer ends of the spider arms 22 as the reel rotates. InFIG. 1, one of the bats is broken away to show center tube 18 moreclearly.

[0017] The reel tines or fingers indicated at 32 are made so that theywill remain oriented substantially vertically as they move around theaxis of the large support tube 18. The drive for these reel bats, andthe pivotal operation of the bat tubes through drive arms is well known,and FIG. 1 is provided merely for background to show the environment inwhich the present invention operates.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, a partial assembly of a reel bat tubeassembly 24 is shown. The reel bat tube is made up of tube sections 28Aand 28B, that are identical. The sections 28A and 28B shown are thesections that would extend on either side of a typical spider 21 and thecontrol lever 30 at one end is used for controlling the position of thereel bats relative to the spiders, to keep the tines or fingers 32properly oriented as the reel rotates. The sections of the reel bat tubeshown at 28A and 28B are but two of perhaps four or more sections of thereel bats that would be used in a combine reel. Tube sections 28A and28B are cut to a desired length, for example, something under eight (8)feet, so that they can be shipped, and when they are assembled, theindividual tube sections that are supported on the ends of reel spiderarms 22 are joined with a solid junction shaft 36, that has hub ends 38,38 that are of a diameter that fits closely on the interior of each ofthe bat tube sections 28A and 28B. The junction shafts 36 have reduceddiameter center sections 40 which are used for receiving a bearing orbushing mounted at the outer ends of the arms 22 on the reel spiders 21.The center section 40 can rotate or pivot in bushings on arms 22.

[0019] The tube sections 28A and 28B are slid over the hub end 38, andheld tightly in place with fasteners such as bolts or cap screws shownat 42, so that a very rigid overall bat made up of multiple lengths oftubes 28A and 28B is formed. The drive lever 30 also has a shaft portion44 which is of size to fit into the interior of the end bat tube 28A andbe held in place with a fastener such as a cap screw 42, as well,although the fasteners for shaft portion 44 are not shown in FIG. 2.

[0020] The tines or fingers 32 are made in a unique manner and form animportant aspect of the invention. The tines are preferably molded, forexample, from a high strength nylon material, so that they can be maderelatively cheaply. As shown, the tines have a hub section 46 at anupper end or wall portions. The hub section 46 is formed by arms 51which form an open-ended saddle that fits partially over the peripheryof the tubes 28A and 28B. A narrowed finger portion 45, extends from thehub of each tine. The sides of the hubs 46 are planar along surfacessuch as that shown at 48, and the upper or inner surface of the saddlearms 51 are formed into part cylindrical surfaces 50. The partcylindrical surfaces 50 are preferably molded and a molded end fastenerreceiving post 52 is formed along the central axis 54 of the hub of thetine. The outer end of post 52 is illustrated as being split with a slot56 along a diametral line. The post 52 and a portion of the hub have aninterior bore 58 that is of size selected to provide for retaining afastener as shown for threading in and retaining a threaded screw shownat 60 in FIG. 2. There is one fastener or screw for each one of thetines.

[0021] The bat tubes, for example, the bat tube shown at 28B in FIG. 3,has a bore or opening 64 at the lower side that receives the cylindricalpost 52, so that the post 52 protrudes into the interior 29 of the tube28B. The length of post 52 is greater than the thickness of the tubewall. The surfaces 50 are preferably, but not necessarily made to be ofslightly smaller radius than the outside radius of the tube 28B. Arms 51will spread slightly as the tube is received in the saddle formed sothat the arms will provide a clamping force onto the bat tube. Then onefastener, as shown, one screw 60 is placed through an opening 66 on theopposite side of the bat tube, and is held in the interior bore 58 ofthe port 52 and will spread the slots 56 as the fastener is seated. Thescrew 60 illustrated will thread into the bore 58 for substantially thefull length of the bore. The spreading of the post 52 on the interior ofthe tube will cause a tight locking action as the disclosed screw 60pulls the saddle surfaces 50 up tight against the outer surfaces of thetube 28B. The opening 66 in bat tube 28B is countersunk so that the headof the fastener 60 does not protrude from the bat tube to cause snaggingof straw or other materials as the reel is operated.

[0022] The length of the hub 46 axially along the tube, which isindicated generally by the dimension indicated by double arrows 70 inFIG. 2, can be much greater than that needed for the lower fingerportions 45 of the tines, which should be tapered and small so that theyoperate satisfactorily in various types of grain. Hub length axially canbe independent of the axially directed width of the lower portions ofthe tine and the width indicated at 70 is selected to obtain goodstability against sideward loads, and reduce the likelihood that thetines or fingers will work loose.

[0023] The mounting of the tine or finger 32 is thus by using a singlescrew or other fastener, such as a threaded bolt, rivet, expansion plugor other anchor, (only two parts total) that expands into the post. Theslit on the post on the interior of the bat tube causes expansion of thepost on the interior of the tube so that the finger or tine is heldtightly in the hole through which the post extends. The length of thefastener or screw 60 can be controlled, in order to control theflexibility of the tine. The longer fastener or screw will make the tineless flexible, while a shorter fastener or screw permits moreflexibility in the junction area where the hub 46 meets the lower fingerportion 45 of the tine.

[0024] As stated, the saddle or hub surfaces 50 of the tine or finger32, are made slightly undersized relative to the bat tube diameter tofit very tightly onto the tube. The width 70 that is shown providesside-to-side stability.

[0025] The multi-sectioned bat tubes use a standard round tube with ajunction shaft inserted at the junction areas, and a very simple bearingsupport is thus made as well as a very strong junction between tubesections. Tightening of the bolts to hold the junction shaft 36 inplace, as well as the shaft 44 at the end arms 30 that control pivoting,deflect the tube walls onto the shaft. The use of a standard sized tubemeans there is no need for machining the bore.

[0026] Cost is reduced, shipping is enhanced because of themulti-sectioned bat tubes, and the tines or fingers 32 can be moldedwith an open hub at the top and eliminate the need for a separate clampor a split clamp which makes the tines difficult to install and moreexpensive. The single screw or fastener provides adequate support forthe hub for holding the fingers or tines onto the reel bat tubes.

[0027] Although the present invention has been described with referenceto preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A one piece harvester reel tine for mounting on asupport tube comprising a hub formed at a first end of the tine, and anelongated tine finger section extending toward a second end of the tinefrom the hub, said hub having wall portions that are spaced apart toform an open saddle for mounting onto a tube, and a post formed on theinterior of said hub and being of size to fit into an opening in thetube on which the tine is to be mounted when the saddle is moved toengage such tube, said post being adapted to receive a fastener forretaining the hub against such tube.
 2. The reel tine of claim 1 ,wherein said hub has an axial width that is parallel to an axis of atube on which the tine is mounted, the hub selected to be greater thanthe width of finger section at the second end of the tine.
 3. The reeltine of claim 1 , wherein said post extends from adjacent inner surfacesof the hub an amount greater than a wall thickness of such tube on whichthe tine is to be mounted.
 4. The reel tine of claim 1 , wherein saidpost has a center opening to receive a fastener extending across suchtube from an opposite side of such tube, and the center opening extendsinwardly to the interior of the hub and has a length extending towardthe second end to provide a recess for receiving a fastener of length tomodify the stiffness of the tine at the hub end.
 5. The reel tine ofclaim 1 , wherein the fastener is a threaded screw.
 6. The reel tine ofclaim 1 , wherein the hub and finger section are integrally molded. 7.The reel tine of claim 3 , wherein said inner surfaces of said hub areformed in a radius that is less than a radius of an outer surface of thetube on which the reel tine is to be mounted.
 8. The reel tine of claim1 , wherein the tube comprises a reel bat and mounts a plurality of thereel tines to form a reel bat assembly, said reel bat assembly includinga plurality of tube sections, and a junction shaft between adjacent tubesections and having end portions fitted into bores of the adjacent tubesections and secured thereto, the junction shaft having a reduced sizedbearing journal between the tube sections.
 9. The reel bat assembly ofclaim 8 , wherein the end portions of the junction shaft are secured tothe respective bat tube with cross fasteners passing through openings inthe tube to clamp the tube onto the junction shaft end portions.
 10. Aharvester reel tine formed as a molded one piece unit having a saddleportion at a first end, said saddle having a surface accessible toengage a support tube and extend partially around such support tube, thereel tine tapering in a direction away from the saddle portion to form afinger section, the saddle surface being outwardly open to engage asupport tube and being formed to be smaller in size than the supporttube on which the saddle is to be mounted, and a receptacle forreceiving a fastener in the center portions of said saddle so that suchfastener can be extended through the support tube on which the reel tineis to be mounted and secured in said receptacle.
 11. The reel tine ofclaim 10 further including a post that extends in a direction from theoutwardly open surface away from the finger section, the post being ofsize to fit within an aperture in a wall of the support tube on whichthe tine is to be mounted, the receptacle extending axially along thepost.
 12. The reel tine of claim 11 and a fastener for insertion intothe receptacle in the post and being of size to expand the post to holdthe tine onto a support tube.
 13. The reel tine of claim 12 , whereinsaid fastener is a threaded screw.
 14. A reel bat assembly comprising atubular reel bat that is elongated along a longitudinal axis, and has aplurality of supports along its length on which bearings are to bemounted, the reel bat being made in tubular bat sections of a selectedlength, and a junction shaft for supporting an end of the tubular batsection comprising at least one end portion sized to fit within aninside diameter of the tubular bat section, and aligning openingsthrough the tubular bat section and the at least one end portion of thejunction shaft for receiving fasteners so that walls of the tubular batsection can be tightened down onto the at least one end portion of theshaft, said junction shaft having a bearing journal adjacent the atleast one end portion of the junction shaft.
 15. The reel bat of claim14 , wherein said tube sections are of standard size steel tubes. 16.The reel bat of claim 14 , wherein the junction shaft has two endportions and the bearing journal is between the end portions, the twoend portions being fitted on the inside diameter of different, adjacenttubular bat sections.